Combined producer-gas and carbureting system.



J No. 897,799. IPATENTED SEPT. 1, 190a.

- W. P. STEELE. COMBINED PRODUCER- GAS AND GARBURETING SYSTEM.

APILIGATION FILED HAY 25, 1906 .55 as contemplate WILBUR F. STEELE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMBINED PRODUCER-GAS AND CARBURETING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1 1908.

Application filed Kay 25, 1906. Serial No. 318,728.

To (IZZ- wl'z om it may concern:

Be itknown that I, VVJLBIR F. STEELE, citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the count of New York and State 5 of New York, have invented certain new and useful Imp ovements in a Combined Produrer(las and Carbureting Systexmof which the following is aspecitication.

My invention is an apparatus for the man- 0 ui'acture of gas, the same having particular reference, in one embodiment of said invention, to an apparatus wherein coal and a by droearbon, as well as alcohol or crude oil, may be used in manufacturing fuel or produeer gas.

My object is to provide an apparatus whereby producer gas is enriched so as to make it available for many uses to which it cannot now be applied. It is well known that producer gas is not rich enough to produee a high heat, whereas the gas known as earhureted gas is high in heat units, comparatively.

As producer gas made from coal is ordinarily much cheaper than gas produced from hydrocarbon oils, and as such gas reducing agent- (coal) is not subject to inorr inate and arbitrary fluctuations in price, I have devised an apparatus whereby I am enabled to so combine a gas producer with means for carbureting such producer gas. In orderto still further cheapen the production of gas, I provide means for using either crudeoil or alcohol in addition to the light hydrocarbon oil used in carburetors, since the oil or the alcohol can be obtained at a price which will justify its use in the manufacture of the new My system also provides means for using a .40 hydrocarbon, such as crude oil, or alcohol,

with a producer gas plaht, without the employment of a system for carbureting the )roducer gas subsequent to its production;

la, under some circumstances, I find that fit as more desirable to employ the two systems conjointly.

In the accom anying drawings I have shown one cmbm iment of the invention, but the construction shown therein is to be understood as illustrative only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a producer gas plant and a. carbureting system ada ted for conjoint operation,

d by one practical embodiment of this invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view,

partly in section, of a distributor adapted to spread crude oil or alcohol within a bed of incandescent fuel within the gas producer; Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the distributer; and Fig. 4 is a View in end elevation of said distributor.

In one practical embodiment of the invention, a gas producer 5 is employed. Such produceris similar to ordinary structures 'nown to the art, and, as shown, it comprises a metal shell 6, a fire brick lining 7, grate bars 8, afuel feed opening 9 at the top of the roducer, and a suitable hopper 10, for feet iug coal to the chamber of said producer. As shown, the producer has an outlet ipe 11, leading from its upper part, said out ct pipe being shown as connected with an exhaust fan 12. From this fan leads a pipe 13, adapted to convey the producer gas to a suit-able form of carburetor 14, and from said carburetor the gas is shown as bein rouveyed to a mixing chamber, one of which is indicated at 15. It will be evident that any desired number of carbureters 14, or of mixing chambers 15, may be employed in my carbureting system, as is fully set forth in my application, Serial No. 204,968, tiled April 26, 1904. F or the purpose of feeding crude oil into the chamber of the gas producer 5, I emp oy a pipe, tube or conduit 21, the same being adapted to extend from a wall of the producer interiorly thereof, whereby I am enabled to deliver crude oil, alcohol, or equivalent gas producin e ent into direct and intimate contact with a lied of incandescent fuel, ada ted to be maintained in any usual or or inary manner within the aforesaid chamber of the gas producer.

In one side of the producer 5, an opening is made therein by removing one or any de siPed number of bricks at a ooiht above the grate bars 8, thereby prod g an opening 15'. A metal plug 16 is inserted in the inner part of said openfiig, said in bein 1 shown as having atransversefema e t read aperture 17. The inlet or feed pi 21 is provided with an external or male t head at one end, and said threaded end of the pipe is screwed into the aperture 17 of the aforesaid 10 plug, whereby the feed pipe is supported in a. substantially horizont osition, and interiorily of the chamber wit 'n the gas pro ducer 5.

For the purpose of conducting the crude petroleum, alcohol, or other agentto the feed pipe 21, I resort, in one form of my appara toe, to the construction shown by Figs. 2 and 3 of the Lira-win s. An opening is made in the metallic shellfi, which opening is in alinement with the opening 17, of theplug 16.- A nipple 18 is arranged within the opening 15', S81(1 I11pPl6 having male threads at its res ect'ive ends. One threaded end ortion of t e nip le is screwed into the tapped hole 17 of the p ug, whereby the nipple 13 adapted to convey the petroleum to the feed pipe 21. The other end of the nipple protrudes beyond the zoo-.allio shell, and said nipple is held in place by s. jam nut 19; It is evident that the nipple 18 efiords convenient means for connecting a. suitable supply pipe, which may lead from a. tank or any other source or supply for the crude petroleum or alcohol.

It is evident that the described onstruction holds the plug 16 firmly in position iii the o ening of the producer, and ihis plug aiior s-s. convenient means for supportin the feed pipe within the chamber of solo producer} T he feed pipe 21 discharges the crude etroleum, in a liquid condition, directly within an ine'andesc'ent bed of fuel adapted to he maintained the producer. In one practical form ofthe invention, however, I employ rooms for distributing the petroleum or sun:-

. action of said heat. By (1..

lor liquid producing agent within said bed of fuel, such. distributing moans also ortially inc-losing the delivery end of the cod pipe, for the purpose of preventing the solid material of the incandescent bed of fuel from enter' said delivery end of the feed pipe and cii cfi ing the same. As shown by Figs. 2, 3 end 4, the-combined hood and distribute-r consists of members 22, 23, which may be cast in a. single piece, or in separate pieces. The casting should he provided with an opening for the reception of the :lolive end of the food pipe 31, and as represenie y Fig. 4, the member 23 is substantially below the open end of the pi o 21, whereas the member 22 hoods or overmngs said pipe, and the aforesaid member The member 22 is roof-shaped, for the purpose of. forming a guard to revent the coal from entering and choking t 10: end of the pipe 3 The other member 23 is izzclinod so as to slope in all directions, and as said member 23 below the end of the iipe 21, the eruile'puiroleum or alcohol is snupiod to be distributed thereby uniformly within the lNKl of juveniles-cent material. lt will he noted, also, that-rho member 23 is smaller, diametrically, than the hood or member 22, and said member 22 thus serves as a guard for the distrihuter 23, as

Well as for the end of the pipe 21. As shown. the distributor and hood are plan-ml ventrally within the chamber of the producer 5,'suiil tuliic paris will not ilvtm'io" under the iliojil:s-'

but by combining water "as with the "as tributer and hood in a. single piece, the element can be removed when burned out or destro ed, thus permii-ting a new element to be readily installed.- It is proferred to provide the pi e 21 with a ridge or apex ale its upper siue so that said pipe, as well 518 318 roofshaped member 22, will adord as little obstruction as possible to the down ard movement of the coal withinthe chamber of the reducer. I do not desire, however, to con- "5 me myself to the particular structure, formotion, and arrangement of the distribut-er and the hood, nor, as a matter of fact, is: my invention limited to the employment of this element, for the reason that the element may go be wholly omitted, or other forms of distributors may be employed, without (leper? reducer in or er to heat 1' blow up the ed of fuel to inoandescenoe, I may employ the usual mechanical expedient of an air pipe 25 and a fan or blower -5; to supply steam to the producer. for bringing it into eohtoct with the incandescent bed and thusprodueg0 ing water gas, 1 employ a steam ipe 14. The steam and air p -.-z l, 25, mey be combined as shown by Fa Ru no purpose of feeding steam and air iz="o the producer simultaneously, and, in t event, the steam supplv q. operates to draw in the air constantly, 1L though the volume of air mimitted may be varied and regulated on ordinar form oi valve in an obvious murmur.

The operation is followsw l'u the my perm-us shown by the (lbw-zin s, it is intended that the bed of fuel shal lac heated to ineundescenee,and the, stoimi be supplied to, and in contact with said hurl of menu- Llesoeut fuel; for :he purpose of produring 10 water gas. 011, or other producing agent,

is conducted gradua ly through the feed pipe 21 into the incandescent fuel Within the producer, at which point the oil or alcoholhecomes thoroughly gusitiod by ron-.110 tact with said her. of fuel, the gas thus produced being generated in the producer in the usuelmouner of gas making. In the drawings lhzwe represented one means for combining steam with gas evolved from the decomposition of petroleum or aieslwi,

it will he understood that it is not 0-5m in this invention decompose steam: for arm production of water gas, for the reason Liar. this apparatus enables me to produce 9. eommere-5a gas from crude etroleum alone. The gases made from oi are, as is well known. very much higher in heat units per (rubiefoot than the producer or wax-t r gas,

from }w'trg;loum,. r :llt'nihzi, l mu enabled. to prodm-e a gas which is much i'iuhor in lHlLL units.

lu the appumius shown by the drawings, the gas is adapted id be drawn from the semen a producer through the pipe 11, by the operation of the exhaust fan 12, and said gases are conducted by the pipe 13, into the scrubber 14, at which point the gases are carbureted or enriched. For this pu ose,

I may employ any well known type 0 carbureter.

It will be understood that my apparatus or system for producing gas comprises means for making and mixing oil and water gas, in conjunction with means for subsequently carbureting or enriching the gas.

This enables me to cheapen the cost, and at the same time, roduce a gas having high .15 units, thus prorfiicing a gas made from a high quality of oil, so that it can be used for many purposes requiring high calorific zPOWBTS.

I contemplate the employment of means for introducing crude oil or alcohol into the producer for the purpose of enriching the water or producer gas, but should the charact-er of the crude oil be such that the gas is not sufficiently enriched, then I may employ, also, the carbureter 14; and to still further improve the quality of the gas, I may subject it to treatment in the heating or mixing chambers 15, whereby my apparatus enables me to economically )roduce a mostefficient gas. It should e understood, further, that the combined water and oil gas, or the oil gas alone, produced in the gas producer may be utilized for commerical and other purposes when taken directly from said producer, thatis, I may dispense with the step of enriching the gas in the carbureter 14, and omit the step of treating the gas in the heating and mixing chamber 15.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a gas producer, a fuel chamber adapted to contain a bed of incandescent fuel, means forintroducing air into said chamber whereby the fuel may be kept in an incandescent state, and means located within said fuel chamber and adapted to be surrounded by the incandescent fuel therein for introducing liquid fuel within the body of incandescent fuel, whereby within a single produccr'or chamber said liquid fuel is vaporized, gasified, and mixed with the gases produced from said incandescent fuel and air, thereby resulting in o. fixed gas of high combustible. power.

2. In a gas producer, a fuel chamber adaptcd to contain a bed of incandcswnt fuel, means for introducing air into said chamber whereby the fuel may be kept in an incandescent state, means for introducing 60 steam into said chamber, and means located within said fuel chamber and adapted to be surrounded by the incandescent fuel therein r for introducing liquid fuel within the body of incandescent fuel, whereby within a single orized, gasified, and mixed with the gases produced from said incandescent fuel and air, thereb resulting in afixed gas of high combustib e power. v

3. In a gas producer, a fuel chamber adapted to contain a bed of incandescent fuel, means for introducing air into said chamber whereby the fuel may be kept in an incandescent state, means for introduc' steam into said chamber, and means locafiid within and substantially centrally of said fuel chamber for feeding oil directly to the incandescent fuel therein.

4. In a gas producer, a grate for supporting a bed of incandescentfuel and means, located in close proximity to said grate and adapted to be incloscd within the bed of incandescent fuel, for introducing li uid fuel within said bed of incandescent fue 5. In an apparatus of the class described, a gas producer having a liquid fuel supply means extending into the area to be occupied by a bed of incandescent fuel, and a distributer adapted to substantially inclose the delivery portion of the said so ply means.

6. In an apparatus of the ass described,

a gas producer, a liquid fuel ipc extending into the chamber of said producer,- and a distributer substantially inclosing the delivery portion of said pipe.

7. In a gas producer, a fuel chamber adapted to contain carbonaceous fuel, means for introducing air into said chamber for primarily promoting combustion of said curonaceous fuel, and means located within the fuel chamber and adapted to be enveloped by said carbonaceous fuel therein'for introducing a liquid fuel within the mass of carbonaceous fuel, whereby within a sin le producer or chamber said liquid fuel is ecom osed, gasified and-mixed with the gases pro need from said carbonaceous fuel and air.

8. In a gas producer, a ifucl chamber adapted to contain carbonaceous fuel, means for introducing air into said chamber for rimarily promoting combustion of said caronaceous fuel, means for introducing steam into said carbonaceous fuel, and means located within the fuel chamber and adapted to be enveloped by said carbonaceous fuel therein for introducing liquid fuel within said mass of carlmnnceous fuel, whereby wftllin a 7 single producer or chamber said steam and liquid fuel are decomposed, gnsified and mixed with each other and with the gases produced from said carbonaceous fuel and air.

In testimony whereof I nilix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

W1 anon F. sTEELE:

,lVitnesses: J. S. ZEBRA,

65 producer or chamber said liquid fuel is vap- J. D. Wnnnmn. 

